THE ASSOCIATION OF OHIO LONGRIFLE COLLECTORS FOR THE STUDY AND PRESERVATION OF THE OHIO MUZZLELOADING RIFLE OFFICERS Bob Poch Presdent Tom Oakes Vce Presdent Dan Smth Secretary Ron Yeran Treasurer 36th A.O.L.R.C. Maretta Exhbt Aprl 1, 2, 3, 2011 DIRECTORS Mark Bender Jm Claggett Larry Cordray Rod Frazer Rchard Harwood Mark Herman Tom Oakes Bob Poch Ron Yeran Warren Offenberger, Drector Emertus EDITOR Ronald Yeran 3321 West Pont Rd., SE Lancaster, Oho 43130 A.O.L.R.C. 23003 St. Rt. 339 Wapt Lane Beverly, Oho 45715 www.aolrc.org Vol. XXXIV Number 1 February, 2011 Contents Presdent s Letter...2 36 th Maretta Exhbt...3 Alexander Ager...4 Charles Caton...6 Samuel B. Thompson...8 Artstc Elements of a Late Delaware County Rfle Part 2..10 Lades of the AOLRC...12
Presdent s Letter & 'Frst, I would lke to start ths letter wth the ssue of buy-sell-trade at the Maretta show. Ths topc was brought up n my last newsletter, and at that tme, I asked for gudance and opnons from past board members and presdents. Those members who contacted me were adamant that ths ssue has been brought up at dfferent tmes throughout the years wth the same result. Ths assocaton was formed by a group of long rfle collectors as an exhbt to study and preserve the art of the gunsmths. We also cannot forget that the AOLRC s ncorporated as a nonproft organzaton. At the recent Board of Drectors meetng, t was easy for us to vote the same as at past board meetngs and keep the Maretta show an exhbt of Oho long rfles. Please note, however, that the Frday nght set-up has always been, and wll contnue to be, a tme when guns can have a prce tag on them. Please keep n mnd though, that the only people permtted to attend the Frday set-up are members of the assocaton. The two tables at the rear of the exhbt hall wll stll be reserved for sale tems. In addton to our Maretta show, our Newark show has also become a great success. Our most recent one had the largest attendance to date. We can thank Jm Claggett for hs hard work n makng ths show so successful. However, after 35 years of dong busness and spendng our dollars as wsely as we can, the ever-rsng costs have caught up wth us. For the last few years, our expenses have been more than our ncome. Therefore, t was decded at the Newark show that we must rase our membershp fee from $15.00 to $25.00 a year ($45.00 for two years, $65.00 for three years). Ths s the frst tme we have rased our fee n 35 years, and we wll contnue to do our best to spend your money wsely. As n the past, members wshng to have dsplay tables at the Maretta exhbt must contact ether Rod Frazer at 614-837-1591 or Jm Claggett at 740-344-8476. It helps to make our job easer f we have a rough estmate of the number of tables needed for the Frday nght set-up. But as always, we wll do our best to handle any last mnute arrvals. We wll be havng an electon for the Board of Drectors at the Aprl Meetng. Please submt your nomnatons to Dan Smth. Fnally, I would lke to announce that the featured gunsmth for ths year s exhbt s Alexander Ager of New Rumley, Harrson County. Any members wshng to dsplay an Ager rfle at the exhbt should contact Tom Oakes at 330-264-3419 or e-mal hm at landsandgrooves@yahoo.com. Hope to see you n Maretta, Bob Poch 2 Assocaton of Oho Longrfle Collectors
36 th Maretta Exhbt As n the past we are nvtng anyone who has documented Oho made rfles produced pror to 1900 to dsplay them. In order to avod any confuson as far as space allotment s concerned, we are askng nterested partes to please let us know how many tables they wll need. In dong ths the assocaton wll be able to provde adequate table accommodatons on a frst come bass. So, please be prompt. Mal table requests to Rod Frazer, 11815 Streamsde Drve, Pckerngton, OH 43147. Remember the major porton of your dsplay must consst of antque Oho made rfles and accessores. Oho made contemporary rfles must not exceed more than 10% of your total dsplay. Ths rule wll be strctly enforced and all contemporary rfles must be so marked. Banquet Set up of exhbts wll begn on Frday, Aprl 1. Our annual membershp meetng and banquet wll be held Aprl 2 at 8:00 p.m. n the LaFayette Hotel. Ths meetng wll be preceded by a hosptalty hour at 6:00p.m. and a banquet at 7:00 p.m. Dnner wll consst of prme rb, stuffed chcken breast, or maple glazed pork lon and all the trmmngs wth tckets costng $20.00 each payable to the secretary no later than March 25. Banquet space s lmted and wll be on a frst come frst serve bass. Please get your reservaton n early. The Board has decded not to have entertanment followng the Banquet ths year, but to keep the room open for an hour or two for members to socalze. Lodgng and accommodatons The LaFayette Motor Hotel has been generous enough to provde exhbt space for our show. They have also offered our membershp a generous dscount on ther room accommodatons. We strongly urge our membershp to take advantage of ths specal rate and the fact that the show, the banquet, and the membershp meetng wll be held n the same locaton. For reservatons telephone 740/373-5522. Be sure to menton that you are comng to the AOLRC Exhbt. For securty reasons, no rfles may be brought nto the exhbt hall after 9:00 a.m. Saturday, or leave before 3:00 p.m. Sunday, unless pror arrangements have been made wth the sergeant-at-arms. Also, no rfle(s) may be brought nto the exhbt hall by a non-member wthout frst sgnng n wth the sergeant-at-arms durng publc hours. Frday, Aprl 1 5:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Set up for exhbt 7:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m. Recepton for all exhbtors and members. Cash bar and hors d oeuvres. Saturday, Aprl 2 8:00 a.m. Exhbt hall opens to exhbtors and members only. 9:00 a.m. Show opens to publc. 5:00 p.m. Exhbt closes. 6:00 p.m. Hosptalty hour. 7:00 p.m. Banquet. 8:00 p.m. Membershp meetng. Socal hour. Sunday, Aprl 3 9:00 a.m. Exhbt hall opens to the publc. 3:00 p.m. Exhbt closes. PLEASE NOTE Our featured gunsmth ths year wll be Alexander Ager who worked prmarly n New Rumley, Harrson County. The hotel wll be provdng glass cases for ths exhbt. Please brng your Ager rfles ths year for the publc to see. For more nformaton please contact Tom Oakes at 330-264-3419. February, 2011 3
Alexander Ager New Rumley, Harrson Co., Oho Alexander Ager (1821 1898) was the frst Oho gunsmth featured n our organzaton s AOLRC Newsletter (Volume I Number 1). Addtonal nformaton concernng Mr. Ager and hs rfles, ncludng photographs of hs work, can be found n Oho Long Rfles, Volumes I and II, by Dr. James B. Whsker; Kentucky Rfle Patchboxes, Volume 2, by Chandler & Whsker; and Volume II, Oho Gunsmths & Alled Tradesmen by Donald Hutslar, publshed by the AOLRC. Alexander Ager wll be the featured gunsmth at our Annual Exhbt n Maretta ths year, and anyone wth an Ager rfle s nvted to nclude t n our dsplay. The rfle pctured here s smlar to many other Ager rfles. Photographs by Dr. James B. Whsker 4 Assocaton of Oho Longrfle Collectors
February, 2011 5
Charles Caton Whte Eyes Townshp, Coshocton County Volume I of our Oho Gunsmths & Alled Tradesmen contans an entry for Charles Caton at page 143. Informaton s ncomplete, but the avalable nformaton suggests that ether of two Charles Catons could be the maker of ths rfle. The elder Charles was born n 1808 n Pennsylvana but was n Coshocton County by 1833. Hs son Charles was born that year. Three numbered rfles are reported, numbers 16, 53, and 60. The rfle presented here s numbered 52. Photos by Dr. James B. Whsker 6 Assocaton of Oho Longrfle Collectors
February, 2011 7
Samuel B. Thompson Farfeld County and Columbus Samuel B. Thompson, born n Maryland n 1785, was n Hockng Townshp, Farfeld County, by 1806 and was lsted as a gunsmth around Lancaster, Oho n 1826. By 1850 he s lsted as a gunsmth n the 3rd Ward, Columbus, Oho (Volume I, pages 214 and 247, Oho Gunsmths & Alled Tradesmen). The rfle presented here s from our fle photos, and no pcture of the sgnature can be found. The pctures were taken by Dr. James B. Whsker. The Edtor has a few qualms about presentng a rfle attrbuted to a Sam Thompson wth so lttle documentaton. 8 Assocaton of Oho Longrfle Collectors
February, 2011 9
Artstc Elements of a Late Delaware County Rfle Mark Bender (Part 2) Contnued from last ssue. The queston of aesthetc appeal of the more common sportng rfles cannot be fully answered here on the bass of one rfle. However, as a case study from whch certan nformaton can be extrapolated, I would lke to offer some observatons about the possble aesthetc effects of form and style of the guleless, unadorned guns of the late percusson perod. The rfle under examnaton s from Delaware County Oho and has all the typcal features of the type as descrbed above. Although t s always dffcult to enter the magnatons of generatons past, there s somethng n the artstc composton of these rfles that stll causes nterest n them today, an nterest that goes beyond that of a partcular maker s name or county of orgn. The A.Barnes Late Percusson Rfle Accordng to Hutslar (n.d. Vol. I, p. 199), Abner Barnes (b. 1836), aged 24, was lsted n 1860 census records as a laborer n Delaware, Oho. (He shares the dstncton of beng a resdent of Delaware wth Rutherford B. Hayes, who was born n 1822 and served as U.S. presdent from 1877-1881.) By 1870, Barnes was lsted n the local Manufacturer s Index, and hs name appeared untl 1888. Hs nvestment n gun parts for 1870 was $200, a porton of whch he used to purchase two gun barrels, two stocks, two mountngs, etc., for a total of $32.00. Moreover, he bult two rfles and dd repar work (assumedly on guns though possbly some other tems) for whch he was pad $480. Barnes had a wfe named Esther, who was a year hs senor, and a chld, Vola, who was two n 1860. Hutslar notes that one Barnes rfle s known to exst, and descrbes t as: halfstock percusson rfle, de-stamped A. Barnes; back-acton lock; muzzle turned. The present locaton of that gun s unknown to ths author. Other gunsmths actve n Delaware durng Barne s dates are Danel Born, John H. Heck, Cornelus W. Scott, and Phlp Weser (Hutslar n.d.: Vol. I, pp. 199-201). The rfle ntroduced below s an example of Barnes work that has only recently come to lght. The author obtaned t n October 2008, by the graces of an anonymous local agent who was handlng t and the remnants of a Ross Co. gun on behalf of an area famly. Thus, ths s the frst documentaton of ths sgned gun n prnt. Descrpton Overall the gun s n very good condton, n that there are only a few very mnor handlng marks n the wood and the only sgns of metal eroson are on the hammer where the metal s somewhat thn and rough from the salts of percusson cap resdue. The overall color of the steel parts, however, s a dull grey as f at some pont the metal was cleaned. There are also remnants of whte powder n several of the screw slots on the screws holdng n the brass trgger guard and butt plate, suggestng some sort of polshng attempt years ago. The lock s a front acton lock wth rounded ends. No name appears on the lock, though roller engraved floral patterns appear at the front and back of the lock plate and a lne s nscrbed about a 16 th of an nch from the edge of the plate all the way around except for the area just before and behnd the notch for the percusson drum. There are two rows of shallow notches lke reptlan scales on each sde of the top of the hammer (thus four rows n all). Ths hammer decoraton s seen on other percusson rfles of the md to late 19 th century and seems to have been cut wth some sort of roller devce, or possbly cast and fled or otherwse shaped. On the front of the top of the hammer there s cross-hatchng wthn a leaf-shaped pattern bordered by a lne. Ths would seem to allow for better purchase on the hammer when cockng. The lock s held n place by a bolt that runs laterally through the stock. There s no screw plate (sde plate) of any knd to protect the wood from the bolt. The dmensons of the octagonal barrel are 7/8 th of an nch n wdth and 36 and 9/16 th nches n length. The tang ( strap ) of the breech plug ( pn ), s 2 and 1/16 th nches n length and held n place wth a screw located 1 and 1/8 th nches from the rear of the barrel that extends down through the trgger plate. The end of the tang s a slghtly tapered and rounded pont. Approxmately 3/16 th of an nch on the end of the muzzle s round. The barrel rb s approxmately 23 and 15/16 th n length (the termnal end flush wth the begnnng of the round porton of the barrel) and 3/16 th of an nch n heght, 5/16 th of an nch n wdth at the base aganst and 3/16 th of an nch n wdth on the slghtly concaved ramrod channel. Two brass ramrod ppes ( thmbles ) are slghtly nlet nto the surface of the rb and neatly soldered n place. Rflng s present n the.36 calber barrel, though shallow just nsde of the muzzle. The rear sght, located 6 and ¼ nches from the rear of the barrel s a deep buckhorn style a har over 5/16 th of an nch n heght, wth a slght dmple drectly n front where the sght was set n place wth a punch. The base of the sght s 1/4 nch on the lateral sdes. There s a very fne notch n the sght and the front s dshed out to gather lght. The edge of the front sght base s 1 and 5/16 th nches from the muzzle. The thn German slver knfe-blade front sght (used for huntng or match shootng, as opposed to what Roberts [1940:7] calls a pn-head target sght) s 1 and 1/16 th nches n length and a bt over 3/16 th of an nch n heght. The brass ste base, whch s barely under 5/16 th of an nch on the lateral edge, extends slghtly over each sde of the barrel. The A. of the sgnature A. Barnes s located 3 and 7/8 th nches from the rear end of the barrel. The deep crescent butt plate and trgger guard (whch has two fnger rests) are both of plan, cast brass. Both peces are of a style qute smlar to those seen on many rfles made by Caleb Vncent of Washngton County (though no drect nfluence s mpled by ths observaton, as many rfles of the era used smlar furnture). The butt plate, whch s 1 and 1/16 th nches at ts wdest pont, s held n place by three steel screws, the edge (not center) of the one on the upper return s located a ½ nch from the anteror end. Another screw (the same sze as the one n the top of the butt plate return) s located 1 nch below the top lne of the butt plate. The thrd, slghtly smaller screw s located a 1/2 nch from a 1/16 th of an nch radus fled at a 70 degree angle on the very end of the lower end of the butt plate (to neatly make the bottom of the butt plate whch s 5/8 th of an nch wde -- flush wth the stock). The butt plate tself s 4 nches from the termnus of the rear pont to the very end of the lower butt plate. The well-fled and fnshed 8 nch trgger guard s attached by two screws (whch may be brass-plated steel): the front screw 10 Assocaton of Oho Longrfle Collectors
s located 5/8 th of an nch from the anteror end, the rear one located a 1/2 nch from the dstal end. The trggers are plan double-set and held wthn a steel trgger plate about 4 and ½ nches n length and 3/8 th of an nch n wdth. The front trgger has a nearly straght profle, whle the rear s notceably curved. The percusson drum (or cylnder ) s about 9/16 th of an nch n dameter and 9/16 th of an nch long. The npple (or tube ) s a typcal rfle sze. The stock s made of walnut wth lttle fgure. The fnsh seems to have been only ol and for dense walnut, probably all that was needed. The barrel s held on to the stock by the tang screw and a 1/16 th of an nch dameter brass wre that passes laterally through the stock 2 and 1/4 th nches from the front of the cast metal fore-end tp. The graysh tp seems to be made of cast and polshed tn, possbly wth some sort of alloy such as antmony. The tp s about 7/8 th of an nch n length, though a crescent has been formed on each sde, so that there s a pont 7/8 th of an nch n length on the bottom of the stock. The length of the trgger pull from the front trgger to the upper screw n the butt plate s 12½ nches, ndcatng t was bult for a shooter of smaller stature. On the other hand, t must be remembered that these rfles were often shot off of the upper bcep and not off the shoulder as wth modern ones. The stock measures 27 ¾ nches from the toe of the butt plate to the end of the end cap. It s 1 and 5/16 th nches wde at the breech. The panel around the lock measures 5 and 3/8 th nches, wth the panel ponted n the rear and rounded n the front. The barrel extends 24 and 1/8 th nches forward of the end cap. The wrst blends nto the stock smoothly, wth a gradual pnched and rounded taper along the nose of the stock. Fnally, the rfle has a plan hckory ram rod (no metal tps) measurng 37 and 1/16 th nches n length. Dscusson The rfle made by Abner Barnes n Delaware County Oho, was lkely made n the post-cvl War era possbly n the later 1860s or early 1870s. The plan rfle s clearly a purer form of the late percusson sportng rfles of Category 2 (descrbed above), wth all the defnng characterstcs of clean, modernstc lnes, and ergonomc feel. Asde from some perfunctory engravng on the lock, the gun succeeds artstcally on the bass of ts archtecture and the blend of brass, steel, and walnut. The outstandng archtectural features that defnes the gun s the mx of a rather long, thn barrel wth a reddsh walnut stock that has a slght fsh belly the lnes of the lower butt stock are gently cantlevered from the rear of the trgger guard and movng n a straght lne back to the heel of the butt plate. The upper lne of the comb s straght, begnnng wth the pronounced nose of the comb whch rses over half an nch above the small of the stock n the wrst. The nose of the stock s n about a 70 degree angle n lne wth the rear spur of the trgger guard. The lock plate s surrounded by very clean lock panel that extends n an elongated rounded pont backwards nto the lnes of the wrst n a lne that converges wth the lne from the nose to trgger guard. Another compostonal lne s that from the toe of the butt plate to the rear trgger spur, and the scalloped effect of the trgger guard hangng below the stock. Ths scallopng s reflected to some extent n the profle of the poured end cap, the curve of the butt plate, the profle curve of the hammer, lock plate ends, and front sght. The rounded profle of the percusson cylnder s also echoed n the turned muzzle of the barrel. Thus, n ts own way, the rfle uses prncples of artstc composton not unlke the golden mean that has been postulated as a key ngredent of the artstry of earler Golden Age rfles. The tradtonal long rfle was n one dmenson an exercse n lnear forms the long lnes of the barrel and butt stock renforced by scratched lnes, longsh trgger guards and long wrsts, trapezodal cheek peces, and flattsh sdes and butts. In contrast the shorter, half-stocked, percusson sportng rfles were more a study n curves n relaton to a relatvely short lnear plane, a blendng of form and functon antcpatng a more Modernst form follows functon, unadorned aesthetc. Thus, ths dscusson suggests that the artstc features of late percusson rfles must be apprecated on ther own terms n the sprt of the dynamc of change and contnuty n tradton. Selected Sources: Clne, Walter (1942). The Muzzle-loadng Rfle: Then and Now. Huntngton, West Vrgna: Standard Prntng and Publshng Company. (Rpt 1981, Natonal Muzzleloadng Rfle Assocaton). Flayderman, Norm (2007). Flayderman s Gude to Antque Amercan Frearms and Ther Values. Iola, Wsconsn: Gun Dgest Books. Hamlton. J. and T. Rowe (2005). The Amercan Percusson Schuetzen Rfle. Rochester, New York: Rowe Publcatons. Hutslar, Donald A. (n.d.). Oho Gunsmths and Alled Tradesmen, Volume One. State College, Pennsylvana: Josten s Prntng. (Assocaton of Oho Long Rfle Collectors) Holm, Ivar (2006). Ideas and Belefs n Archtecture and Industral Desgn: How Atttudes, Orentatons, and Underlyng Assumptons Shape the Bult Envronment. Oslo School of Archtecture and Desgn. Kndg, Joe, Jr. (1960). Thoughts on the Kentucky Rfle n Its Golden Age. York, Pennsylvana: George Shumway Publsher. Roberts, Ned H. (1940). The Muzzle-loadng Cap Lock Rfle. Manchester, New Hampshre: The Grante State Press. (rpt. 1991, Wolfe Publshng Company, Prescott, Arzona) Shumway, George (1968). Pennsylvana Longrfles of Note. York, Pennsylvana: George Shumway Publsher. (2002). Rfles of Colonal Amerca, Volume II. York, Pennsylvana: George Shumway Publsher. Stelle, J.P. and Wm. B. Harrson (1883). The Gunsmth s Manual; A Complete Handbook for the Amercan Gunsmth, Beng a Practcal Gude to All Branches of the Trade. New York: Excelsor Publshng House. (rpt. 1972, The Gun Room Press, Hghland Park, N.J.) Toelken, Barre (1996). The Dynamcs of Folklore. Logan, Utah: Utah State Unversty Press. Zeher, Paul (1994). More on Charles Cullman. A.O.L.R.C Newsletter. Vol. 16, no. 2: pp. 2-4. February, 2011 11
Lades Auxlary News & 'Aprl 1, 2011 wll be the start of our Maretta Show. That s rght Aprl Fool s Day! We do have some practcal jokers n ths organzaton so beware! Our Frday wll not nclude an aucton ths year so we wll have the afternoon to set up tables and dsplays. Members only then wll socalze begnnng around 6:30 wth the carvng staton, salads and the brthday cake. Ths brthday cake tradton s n celebraton of everyone s yearly brthday. Last year s lunch at DaVnc s was enjoyed by all so we wll begn our Saturday actvty for the lades wth lunch at the DaVnc Restaurant located across the rver n Wllamstown. The cost of the lunch wll be $13 whch wll nclude dessert, tax, drnk, and gratuty. We wll carpool and leave the hotel around 11:00 for lunch at 11:30. After lunch and a short meetng we wll return to Maretta and journey to Campus Martus, Museum of the Northwest Terrtory. Our AOLRC Aprl Show had ts begnnng n the museum back n the late 70 s. Bll Reynolds has arranged the museum tour. There s no admsson fee to us but a free wll donaton would be apprecated as the museum s strugglng to meet budget. Everyone wll be free to tour at ther lesure and return to the hotel on ther own tme. We wll contnue wth the evenng dnner as t has been n the past. Dress wll agan be casual so our men can leave those suts at home f they prefer. Agan ths year there wll not be a speaker or entertanment after the dnner, however, there wll be a short busness meetng. The rest of the evenng wll be socal tme for vstng and chattng. The actvty book contnues to be dstrbuted and wll be avalable at the meetng for chldren n attendance and for any organzatons. We need to start thnkng of our next project. What can we do to educate the publc on the hstory of the Oho long rfle? Brng your deas to the luncheon for dscusson. I am lookng forward to our reunon and seeng you n Maretta. Please emal me at ronjudyyeran@gmal.com, or phone me 740-746-8965 or send mal to me at 3321 West Pont Rd. SE, Lancaster, OH 43130 wth your reservaton for the lades luncheon. I need to gve the number attendng the luncheon to DaVnc s the week before. See you soon. Judy Yeran P.S. A REMINDER - Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 6, 2011. Ths s the date for our annual Pcnc and Shoot. Ths has proven to be a very popular and fun actvty. Last year we had chldren and lades shootng. Przes are gven and t proves to be great fun for all. Hope you can jon us n August. More detals wll be sent to you ths summer. 12 Assocaton of Oho Longrfle Collectors